WingNews logo WingNews
top | item 34616975

(no title)

topher515 | 3 years ago

Not a flight buff, but...

- Jet fuel from NYC to LAX seems to cost ~$10k.[1]

- You pay a pilot $50 / hour salary. (+100% more with benefits?)[2]

- Double all of that for a bunch of random things I can't think of (airport fees?)

My napkin math seems to indicate this couldn't possibly cost Boeing more than $10-20k? Pretty small potatoes to such a large company.

[1] https://simpleflying.com/commercial-airliner-fuel-cost/ [2] https://www.ziprecruiter.com/Salaries/Commercial-Pilot-Salar...

discuss

order

unglaublich|3 years ago

Then count the fame you get for it... and it actually _increases_ value!

eYrKEC2|3 years ago

They more than $20k's worth of publicity from the stunt. Totally worth it.

godot|3 years ago

Does that napkin math subtract the cost of the same delivery flight but without the stunt?

I didn't read about the flight but I assume that delivery was happening anyway, with or without the stunt. I am guessing it took an hour or two extra, so the fuel and pilot salary cost should only be what was extra in addition to the regular flight amount?

stevehawk|3 years ago

There isn't a 747 pilot on the planet making only $50/hr

sofixa|3 years ago

> My napkin math seems to indicate this couldn't possibly cost Boeing more than $10-20k? Pretty small potatoes to such a large company.

Yeah they were losing billions through criminal negligence and delayed deliveries of the 737 Max, so a couple of tens of thousands for some well needed good PR is nothing. This is probably the first bit of it for multiple years now, with all the delays in the 777X, assembly quality issues of 787, etc.

throwanem|3 years ago

It feels to me like a final swan song for the era, both corporate and economic, in which a project like the 747 was possible.